CVP toasts new era with Fitzrovia launch
Oct 2, 2023
CVP has welcomed the first visitors to its new flagship showroom in Fitzrovia with a sparkling launch event on 27 September.
British Cinematographer was treated to a preview of CVP Fitzrovia just as the finishing touches were being added. Housed in a period building at 89 Great Titchfield Street, the new space is within easy reach of Goodge Street and Oxford Circus Underground stations, in a cinematographer-friendly neighbourhood that’s also home to the likes of RED and Cooke Optics.
The move across Fitzrovia, from Newman to Great Titchfield Street, means a much more accessible facility, allowing visitors to receive the “full experience”, as CVP CEO Jon Fry puts it. CVP Fitzrovia is 50 per cent bigger than its predecessor and is designed with clients at its heart.
A highlight of the showroom is its top-notch lighting and virtual production set, where visitors will be able to put the latest kit – including the newly launched Sony Burano 8K digital cinema camera, the Angénieux EZ3 lens and the Cooke SP3 full frame prime lens series – to the test. What’s more, it’s a portable set-up that CVP can demo at shows and festivals around the world; indeed, visitors to IBC may have seen the set in action.
The showroom is complemented by a smart boardroom and breakout facilities, as well as space for CVP’s sales team.
Like the CVP & ARRI Creative Space in nearby Charlotte Street, CVP Fitzrovia will welcome the wider cinematography community through its doors for regular – and largely free – events, from demos to networking sessions. “It’s important to keep giving something back,” adds Fry, reflecting on the success of another initiative, the European Lens Summit.
As the lengthy WGA strike comes to an end and production starts to pick up on both sides of the Atlantic once more, the Fitzrovia showroom’s arrival heralds a positive step forward for the industry.
Jon Fry, CEO, CVP, said, “It was a pleasure to celebrate the opening of CVP’s flagship showroom. The excitement about our new innovative space from our customers and partners has been overwhelming. Today showed how invaluable an environment like CVP Fitzrovia is to the film and TV industry, to have a hub for hands-on experience with state-of the art technology, knowledge sharing and learning, and engaging with industry peers all in one immersive space.”
Comment / David Raedeker BSC / member of the BSC sustainability committee